Review - Tea Do

132 N. 10th St
215.925.8889
Yelp, Website
M - Th: 10:30am - 12am, Fri - Sat: 10:30am - 1am

Continuing my series on bubble tea houses. Shortly after writing the review for Tea Talk, I discovered that two more bubble tea houses had recently opened up in Chinatown. (I guess I should've done my homework!) One of them, Tea Do, is just a block down from Tea Talk. Perhaps the owners of Tea Do saw what I saw--that Tea Talk has been slipping and there was room for competition.

The drink menu at Tea Do is very similar to Tea Talk: a variety of teas and tea flavors with options for tapioca and popping bubbles. But that's where the similarities end. With its bar-like atmosphere, Tea Do feels like Tea Talk's more risque older brother. Dance and techno music pumped from the speakers, overpowering any sound that might be coming from the flatscreen TV mounted behind the bar and airing the Olympics. The furnishings are better quality than Tea Talk's Ikea tables and lamps; the decor was slicker and more polished. The menu also includes more small-plate food items like gyoza, seaweed salad, and sweets, clearly targeting an older clientele with deeper pockets.

On a Tuesday night, the place was fairly empty but I could easily imagine a partying crowd spilling in on the weekends with trashy couples making out in the corners and rowdy guys yelling at the game on TV. That kind of scene doesn't seem to go well with a cup of tea.

But that night, I kept it tame with my standard black milk bubble tea order. Despite the unappealing ambience, I had high hopes for Tea Do to step it up and give Tea Talk a run for its money. But my drink was watered down and flavorless. The quest for the perfect bubble tea continues.

Tea: 2 beans
Atmosphere: 2 beans